Updates on desensitization for hypersensitivity reactions related to chemotherapy

ABSTRACT

As the use of chemotherapeutic agents increased rapidly in recent years, more patients are under the potential risk of chemotherapy related adverse reactions. Multiple regular exposures to the same drug by chemotherapy protocol may increase the risk of sensitization to a chemotherapeutic agent, which can result in hypersensitivity reactions. Once severe hypersensitivity reactions occur, causative drugs should be avoided. However, a substitute with equal efficacy is not always available. When there is no effective alternative, desensitization is a safe tool for maintenance of chemotherapeutic agents causing hypersensitivity reaction. In this review, we introduce the latest knowledge about desensitization protocol for chemotherapeutic agents which are frequently used recently.